Restaurant Insider

Today I accidentally referred to the 12th Avenue Festival as the 12th Avenue Food Festival in conversation. Same difference, if you ask me. There's so, so much good to eat on that street.This Sunday, from noon until 6pm, 12th Avenue between Madison and Pike Streets will shut down so that hungry folks like you and I can eat ourselves silly.

There's a whole lot of to-do about this Saturday's Seattle release of Dry Fly Bourbon, which is being billed as "the first-ever commercially produced bourbon in Washington State." Half of the limited-release production of 480 bottles hit the streets last week in Spokane, where Dry Fly is based. Dry Fly distiller Patrick Donovan tells me that when he showed up for work that morning at 6 a.m., there was already a line of 200 people at the door and every $65 bottle was gone within two hours.

Look out, Ballard: Phinney Ridge is giving you a run for your money! At least when it comes to new restaurants. A year ago it was all Ballard all the time (Walrus, Staple), but this summer it's all about the Ridge. I mean that literally: The Ridge Restaurant, from the owners of Prost! and Nickerson Street Saloon, will be supremely kid-friendly, from the pizza and sandwich menu to the large tables and shuffleboard table in back. The opening is set for early September, and they’ll serve both lunch and dinner.

Since its opening in the summer of 2009, Fuji Bakery has delighted us with treats like the crisp, buttery green tea Danish and light, creamy brioche chocolat. Food editor Allison Scheff raved about Fuji in our February issue, and since then the accolades have been piling up.

My ultimate dream of living off five acres of lush organically-farmed land (preferably in southern France) surrounded by happy farm animals who are all friends and adore me even though I'm going to someday eat them has yet to become a reality. So until then, I'm just going to have to invite myself over to other people's farms for dinner, where they'll show me around and share fascinating tidbits about their crops and growing seasons as I turn green with envy and tune out the parts about how much hard work it actually is.

Backyard barbecues on America's Independence Day are great, but how dang lucky are we to live in an internationally-minded city that's home to lots of nice French folks where we get to celebrate (and by that I mean EAT) the joys of Bastille Day as well?
Our local Franco-foodie scene is going gangbusters for the 14th, so if eating well is your priority, I would really try to squeeze one of these fêtes in:
Bastille Cafe & Bar (Ballard)

Some good news for Eastsiders: The owners of Cantinetta announced this week plans to open Mercato Stellina (10000 Main Street, Downtown Bellevue), an Italian market and sandwich shop in downtown Bellevue.We’ve been told the new shop will feature a mix of Italian specialty goods, including cheese and wine, cured meats, fresh pasta made at Cantinetta, plus dried pasta and pasta sauces, olive oils and aged balsamic vinegars, and fresh bread. And there'll be takeout sandwiches (g

(Ginger gets a bath)Impress everyone at the dinner table with these savory sweet salmon morsels. The reduced orange, honey and tamari glaze and the cool yogurt dip will help Jane regain a smile after what she's just seen. For printable recipe, click here.

Recently I profiled a couple of new local food tours that have popped up this season. Being that I don't get to take many vacations, I'm a pretty rabid fan of these when they're in my hometown. Most of the time I run around Seattle acting like a huge know-it-all; changing my perspective for an afternoon and treating the city I grew up in as an unfamiliar place is a remarkably refreshing way to feel like you've actually been on vacation, if only for a couple of hours.